THE DAILY WHIP: TUESDAY, JANUARY 18, 2011

House Meets At:

First Vote Predicted:

Last Vote Predicted:

2:00 p.m.: Legislative Business

Unlimited “One Minutes”

6:30 p.m.

7:00 p.m.

Suspensions (2 Bills)

S.Con.Res. 2 - A concurrent resolution authorizing the use of the rotunda of the Capitol for an event marking the 50th anniversary of the inaugural address of President John F. Kennedy (Sen. Kerry - House Administration)

Begin Consideration of H.R. 2 – Patients’ Rights Repeal Act (7 Hours of Debate) (Rep. Cantor - Education and the Workforce/Energy and Commerce/Ways and Means) The Republican Leadership postponed consideration of H.R. 2 , which was initially scheduled to be considered last week, due to the tragedy in Tucson, Arizona. Debate on H.R. 2 will begin today. The House is expected to complete consideration of H.R. 2 tomorrow. H.R. 2 would repeal the Affordable Care Act, which was enacted into law last year. Repeal of the legislation would have numerous effects, including:

Increasing the Deficit. According to the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office, adoption of H.R. 2 would increase the deficit by $230 billion over ten years, and over $1 trillion in the second ten years.

Putting Insurance Companies Back in Charge of Your Health Care. Adoption of H.R. 2 would eliminate the ban on discrimination based on pre-existing conditions, eliminate the ban on annual and lifetime limits, eliminate the requirement that insurance companies spend 80-85% of your premium dollars on benefits, and eliminate the ability of young adults to stay on their parents’ coverage through their 26th birthday.

Worsening Medicare Solvency. According to the Medicare Actuaries, the Affordable Care Act extended the solvency of Medicare by an estimated 12 years. Adoption of H.R. 2 would accelerate the insolvency of Medicare – as well as increase drug costs for seniors in the donut hole, increase deductibles and co-pays for preventive services, and eliminate new benefits like annual wellness exams.

TOMORROW’S OUTLOOK

The House GOP Leadership has announced the following schedule: On Wednesday, the House will meet at 10:00 a.m. for legislative business. The House is expected to complete consideration of the Patients’ Rights Repeal Act.

The Daily Quote

“Our political discourse should be more civil than it currently is, and we all, myself included, bear some responsibility for it not being so. It probably asks too much of human nature to expect any of us to be restrained at all times by persistent modesty and empathy from committing rhetorical excesses that exaggerate our differences and ignore our similarities. But I do not think it is beyond our ability and virtue to refrain from substituting character assassination for spirited and respectful debate.”